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The fate of Dulwich Hamlet

Dulwich Hamlet are one of the highest profile non-league clubs in the country. It is not easy being a non-league club in London because of the lack of clear community identities in some parts of the city, the existence of a wide range of leisure options and competition from Premier League and Football League clubs.

However, Hamlet are the epitome of metropolitan cool, and indeed have little direct competition in the immediate area. They attracted a bumper crowd on Non-League Day for a match against Needham Market.

Their future is in doubt because of a complex three-cornered struggle between the property group that bailed them out, Southwark Council, and the club itself. The intention is to redevelop Champion Hill and relocate them to a new site. Meanwhile, they face financial challenges in terms of their wages budget when compared with the likes of Billericay Town (although it is still bigger than many non-league clubs at their level).

The Independent has produced an excellent in depth report on the challenges they face: A complex dispute

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